Suction cleaner



Filed May 28, 19:50

2 Sheets-Sheet l March 7, 1933. wl H. K11-To sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed May28, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mw h ww @wm nm mw .m wh QW -l iv; WW @l QN I,li MW JV? MTS: QN NNI NNI Patented Mar. 7, 1933' UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE WILLIAM H. KITTO, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOOVERCOMPANY, OF

NORTH CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SUCTION CLEANER Applicationfiled May 28, 1930. Serial No. 456,385.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly toimprovements therein through the provision of air-flow-directing meansand novel agitating means in cooperation therewith. The invention hasfor its object the provision of a suction cleaner of simplicity andefficiency the provision of new and novel agitating mean-s; theprovision of a construction in which the point of air cleaningeffectiveness and the point of positive agitation substantiallycoincide; the provision within the suction nozzle of a body containingair at atmospheric pressure in combination with separate agitat'ingmeans within said nozzle. Other and more specific objects will appearupon reading the speciiication and considering therewith the drawin sannexed.

eferring now to the drawings in which is disclosed a preferredembodiment of the present invention:

Fig. 1 discloses a side View of a suction cleaner constructed inaccordance with the present invention, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a suction cleaner constructed in accordancewith the present invention with certain parts removed and broken away.

Like reference characters identify ,similar parts in the various views.

The suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the presentoinventioncomprises the usual parts of a suction cleaner including the motorcasing l, which houses the driving motor which is not shown; the fancasing 2 forming the fan chamber 3, within which is positioned the fan 4carried by the extended motor shaft 5; and the nozzle 6 which is carriedby the forward face of the fan casing 2 and opens directly thereinto atthe eye 7 of the fan chamber. Carried by the forward face of the nozzle6, and serving to close the opening 8 therein, is the removable coverplate 9. Front supporting wheels 10, 10 and a rear supporting wheel 11support the cleaner on the surface covering and a handle bail 12, whichis pivoted to the motor casing, is connected to a handle, which is notshown, and provides means by which the cleaner may be propelled. Theaforedescribed parts comprise the usual suction cleaner and no inventionresides in the construction thereof, broadly.

Positioned within the nozzle 6 and extend- 55 ing the length thereof isa substantially cylindrical member 13 which issupported at each end uponthe flange 14 of the removable end plate 15 of the suction cleanernozzle. Securing means, such as screws 16 and 17, se- 50 cure the innermember to the end plate and the end plate to the suction cleaner,respectively. Member 13 Within the nozzle 6 is in effect an air tunnelwhich is opened at each end to the atmospheric pressure through anopening 18 provided in the end plate 15, and which is itself openedalong its bottom between the edges 19 and 20, which are in effectpenetrating lips as will be more clearly disclosed as the specificationproceeds. Positioned centrally of the member 13 and secured thereto isthe housing member 2l which opens interiorly into the member 13 and, ineffect, provides an offset channel 22 therefor. Securing means 23, 23etc., are pro- 75 vided to secure the housing 21 to the member 13.Positioned upon the nozzle 6 are lips 24 and 25 which, as distinguishedfrom the penetrating lips 19 and 20 of the interior member or tunnel 13,are .very broad. These lips are provided with an upward and inwardlycurved surfaces which conform to the contour of the displaced surfacecovering with which they Contact in the operation of the machine so thatvery little of the air drawn into the nozzle, inl response to the vacuumcreated therein by the suction fan, will enter between these broadsealing lips and the surface covering.

Positioned within the interior of the air tunnel 13 with its lower edgeextending between the penetrating lips 19 and 2O thereof is thcagitating member or finger 26 which is supported at each of its ends bya supporting arm 27 which is rotatably mounted within a 95 bearing28 inthe removable end plate 15 of the nozzle 6. The agitating member 26 isprovided along its lower or surface-contacting edge witha smoothhardened metallic covering 29.wh1ch prevents injury to the surfacecovering. Extending laterally from the central portion of the agitatingmember 26 into the olset channel 22 from the air tunnel 13 is an arm 30which is provided with a forked end having an extended slot 31.Positioned vertically within the channel 22 with its reduced endextending between the spaced ends of the arm 30 is the driving shaft 32which is provided at its lower end with a pin 33 which is positionedwithin the slot 31 in the arm 30. Shaft 32 extends upwardly through thehousing 21 at the opening 34 which is provided with an air-seal Washer35 which is maintained in position by an outstanding portion 36 of theforward wall of the fan casing 2, said offset portion being providedwith an opening 37 which provides a sliding bearing for the shaft 32.Drive shaft 32 is forked at its upper end and receives the downwardlyextending projection of member 38 which is carried by the bearing 39mounted on the pin 40 which is itself carried by the circular plate 41eccentrically of the motor shaft 5.

As the motor revolves, in the operation of the cleaner, theeccentrically mounted pin 40 revolves in its orbit about the motor shaft5 carrying with it the member 38 which is' pivoted at its projectingportion to the drive shaft 32 by the pin 42. The drive shaft 32 receivesa vertical reciprocating motion the extent of which is determined by theeccentricity of pin 40 with respect to the shaft 5 of the motor. As thelower end of the drive shaft 32 reciprocates up and down it carries withit projecting arm 3() of the agitating member 26, the sliding of the pin33 in the slot 31 permitting relative movement between said drive-shaft32 and said arm 30 caused by the arcuate movement of said arm. Theresult of the arm 30 being carried alter- `nately up and down by thedrive shaft 32 is the pivoting of the agitating member 26 upon itssupports 27, 27 in the bearings 28, 28 and the alternate arcuatemovement of the lower edge of said member between the penetrating lips19 and 20 of the air tunnel 13.

.[n the operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with thepresent invention the suction fan 4, being driven by the driving motor,creates a reduced pressure within the suction nozzle 6 through theexhaustion of the air therefrom. The surface covering, over which thecleaner is passing, is lifted up- "ward into the nozzle until itcontacts thebroad sealing lips 24 and 25. Lips 24 and 25 function,because of their relatively great width, to provide an excellent sealwith the covering and to maintain it in the lifted position and, whilepreventing the leakage of an appreciable quantity of -air therebetween,offer a minimum resistance'to the sliding of the nozzle relativethereto. As the air is unable to gain entrance into the nozzle 6 bymeans of theY customary entrance under the nozzle lips it seeks the pathof least resistance and enters said nozzle by passing under thepenetrating lips 19 and 20, the air in the air tunnel 13 being atsubstantially atmospheric pressure as openings 18, 18 are provided atthe ends thereof. The penetrating lips 19 and 20 which contact theuplifted, and consequently bowed section of the surface covering,function, because of their extremely small width, to separate theadjacent rows of pile and the adjacent tufts of a single row of pile ofsaid surface covering and to provide for the air which passesthereunder, on its way into the main nozzle 6, an open pathway to theempacked,embedded foreignparticles at the base of the surface covering.The positively actuated agitating member 26, within the air tunnel 13,contacts the surface covering between the penetrating lips thereof andagitates, flexes and bends the pile resulting in the dislodgment of allforeign particles and the making possible of their removal by thecleaning air which passes under the lips 19 and 20 as said lips passover the point which has been agitated by said agitating member.

The invention combines in a new and novel construction a combination ofbroad sealing lips, which make possible the use of high vacuum withoutincreasing the resistance to movement of the cleaner, and penetratinglips which make possible the entrance of the cleaning air to theembedded foreign particles in the surface covering undergoing cleaning,and lastly, a positive agitating member which functions to dislodge allforeign particles embedded in the surface coverin making possible theirremoval by the cleanlng air, Having clearly set forth and described myinvention, I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a suction nozzle adapted to contact a surfacecovering undergoing cleaning, means to create a reduced pressure in saidnozzle, a member having a downwardly facing opening within said nozzleinteriorly connected to air at atmospheric pressure, reciprocatingagitating means within said nozzle, and means to positively actuate saidagitating means.

2. In a suction cleaner -a suction nozzle adapted to contact a surfacecovering undergoing cleaning, means to create a reduced pressure in saidnozzle, a member open to and within said nozzle interiorly connectedwith the atmosphere, means comprising penetrating lips directing theflow of air from the point of high pressure to the point of low pressureinto the surface covering undergo-- ing cleaning, reciprocatingagitating means y within said nozzle and means to positively actuatesaid agitating means.

3. In a suction cleaner a suction nozzle adapted to contact a surfacecovering undergoing cleaning, means to create a reduced pressure in saidnozzle, a member open to and within said nozzle interiorly connected tothe atmosphere, means directing the flow of air from the point of highpressure to the point `of low pressure into the surface covering,agitating means within said nozzle, and means to impart an alternaterotary moveu ment to said agitating means.

4. In a suction cleaner a suction nozzle, means to create a reducedpressure in said nozzle, a member open to and within said nozzleinteriorly connected to atmosphere, means directing the flow of air fromthe point of high pressure to the point of low pressure into a surfacecovering below the nozzle, agitatingmeans within said nozzle comprisingan agitating finger, and means Jto-impart an alternate rotary movementto said agitating means. Y

5. In a suction cleaner a suction nozzle, an

air tunnel within said suction nozzle interiorly connected to atmosphereand having a downwardly facing opening, lips upon said air tunneladapted to contact the surface covering undergoing cleaning,reciprocating agitating means within said air tunnel, and means topositively actuate said agitating means.

6. In a suction cleaner a suction nozzle, an air tunnel within saidsuction nozzle interiorly connected with the atmosphere, surfacecontacting lips upon said air tunnel defining a downwardly facingopening, alternate rotary agitating means positioned within said airtunnel, and means to positively actuate said agitating means.

7 In a suction cleaner a suction nozzle, a broad sealing lip upon saidnozzle, an air tunnel open along its lower side' within said nozzleinteriorly connected to the atmos- 40 phere, an agitating finger withinsaid nozzle, and means to positively actuate said finger.

Signed at North Canton, in the county of Stark, and State of Ohio, this14th day of May, A. D., 1930. WILLIAM H. KITTO.

